Schema — How to Use

Last Updated: January 1, 2026

Schema captures the complete view layout of a Revit model — every sheet, every viewport position and size, every schedule instance — and saves it as a portable .schema.json file. That file can then be applied to any other Revit model, placing views on sheets in exactly the same arrangement.

Primary use case: A BIM manager sets up the standard drawing set layout once, saves it as a schema, and applies it to every new project in minutes instead of hours.

Workflow Overview

MODEL A (established layout)               MODEL B (new or target model)
        │                                          │
   Edit Schema                              Assemble Schema
   → Import from Model                      → Load schema.json
   → Visual canvas review                   → Scan Model
   → Save as layout.schema.json             → Auto-Match views
                                            → Manual adjustments
                                            → Assemble Views + Schedules

Step 1 — Extract a Layout from a Source Model

  1. Open the Revit model that has the layout you want to capture (the source model).
  2. Go to the AvantLeap tab → Schema panel → click Edit Schema.
  3. The Schema Editor opens. Click Import from Model in the toolbar.
  4. Schema scans all sheets and viewports in the model and displays them on a visual canvas.
    • Viewports appear as gold-bordered rectangles on each sheet.
    • Schedule instances appear as blue-bordered rectangles.
  5. Review the canvas. You can:
    • Switch between sheets using the sheet list on the left.
    • Click a viewport to see its properties (name, view type, size) in the properties panel.
    • Drag viewports to adjust their position on the canvas.
    • Add or remove sheets using the + button.
  6. When satisfied, click Save As and save the file as your-layout-name.schema.json.

Tip: Store schema files in a shared network folder or BIM standards repository so the whole team can access them.

Step 2 — (Optional) Edit the Schema

The Schema Editor lets you modify a .schema.json file without touching any Revit model.

  • Open — load any existing .schema.json file.
  • Library — set a folder as your schema library to browse and load schemas quickly.
  • Canvas — drag viewports, see sheet layout at a glance.
  • Properties panel — view slot name, view type, size, and position values.
  • Save / Save As — persist changes back to the JSON file.

You can also use Compare with Model to see how the schema differs from the currently open Revit model before applying it.

Step 3 — Apply a Schema to a Target Model

  1. Open the Revit model you want to set up (the target model).
  2. Go to AvantLeap tab → Schema panel → click Assemble Schema.
  3. The Assemble window opens. Click Load Schema and select your .schema.json file.
    • The center panel shows all viewport slots defined in the schema (left list) with their sheet, view type, and size.
    • Below the viewport list, schedule slots are shown automatically.
  4. Click Scan Model to scan all available views in the target model.
  5. Click Auto-Match to let Schema match views to slots automatically.
    • Schema scores each match by name similarity (60%) and size compatibility (40%).
    • Gold matches (≥ 70% score) are confident assignments.
    • Blue-stripe suggestions (< 70% score) are lower-confidence — review these manually.
  6. Review and adjust manually if needed:
    • Select a slot in the center list.
    • The right panel shows all available candidate views sorted by match score.
    • Click Assign to assign the selected candidate to the slot.
    • Click Duplicate & Assign to create a copy of the view sized to fit the slot exactly (useful when the same view needs to appear in multiple schemas or at a different crop size).
    • Click the × on an assigned slot to clear the assignment.
  7. When all required slots are assigned, click Assemble Views + Schedules.
    • Schema creates or updates the sheets defined in the schema.
    • Places each assigned view as a viewport at the correct position and size.
    • Places matched schedule instances using the schema's stored position.
  8. A status message confirms completion. Switch to Revit to review the placed sheets.

Candidate Panel — Reading the Match List

Indicator Meaning
Gold background Match score ≥ 70% — confident match
Blue left stripe Suggestion — score < 70%, review before accepting
"On sheet" tag View is already placed on another sheet in this model
Score label {score}% size · {nameScore}% name or Suggestion · {score}% size

Views already assigned to another slot in the current session are hidden from the candidate list to prevent duplicate assignments.

Schedule Matching

Schedules are auto-matched by name:

  • Exact match first — schema slot name matches a schedule name exactly.
  • Partial match fallback — slot name contained in schedule name, or vice versa.

Schedules without a match show "Not found in model" in blue. They are skipped during assembly (no error). Add the required schedule to the model and re-run if needed.

File Format — .schema.json

Schema files are plain-text JSON and human-readable. Each file contains:

{
  "Name": "Standard Layout v1",
  "CreatedFrom": "ProjectA",
  "Sheets": [
    {
      "SheetNumber": "A001",
      "SheetName": "Floor Plans",
      "TitleBlock": "A1 Title Block",
      "Viewports": [
        {
          "ViewName": "Level 1 - Floor Plan",
          "ViewType": "FloorPlan",
          "CenterX": 0.85,
          "CenterY": 1.12,
          "Width": 0.70,
          "Height": 0.52
        }
      ],
      "Schedules": [...]
    }
  ]
}

All coordinates are in Revit internal units (feet), measured from the sheet bottom-left corner.

Schema files contain no model geometry, no element IDs, and no project-specific data. They are safe to share outside your organisation.

Keyboard & UI Quick Reference

Action How
Load schema Assemble window → Load Schema button
Scan model views Assemble window → Scan Model button
Auto-match all slots Assemble window → Auto-Match button
Assign a view manually Select slot → select candidate → Assign
Duplicate and fit view Select slot → select candidate → Duplicate & Assign
Clear an assignment Click × on the assigned slot row
Import layout from Revit Schema Editor → Import from Model
Open schema in editor Schema Editor → Open
Save schema Schema Editor → Save / Save As
Browse schema library Schema Editor → Browse Library

Requirements

  • Autodesk Revit 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026, or 2027
  • Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit)
  • An active Revit project must be open when running either command
  • Views to be placed must already exist in the target model (Schema places existing views — it does not create new view definitions)

Log File

Schema writes diagnostic information to:

%APPDATA%\Autodesk\Revit\Addins\Schema\Schema.log

Check this file first when a placement fails or a schedule is not found.

Known Limitations

Limitation Detail
Views must exist in target model Schema places existing views; it does not create new view types, view templates, or families
Schedule position uses top-left origin Schedule placement converts stored center coordinates to top-left automatically
Linked model views not supported Views from Revit-linked files cannot be placed as viewports
Title block must exist If the schema references a title block family not loaded in the target model, that sheet is skipped
No multi-model batch Schema processes one model at a time
Canvas is read-only for position accuracy Viewport drag on canvas is for visual review; final positions are computed from the JSON coordinates